opinion

Crypto SWOT: Stablecoins could shift from niche to mainstream by 2030

Kitco Media
By Frank E Holmes
Published:
Updated:
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Crypto SWOT: Stablecoins could shift from niche to mainstream by 2030 teaser image

Strengths

  • Tether is expanding its gold push by investing another $100 million into Canadian royalty company Elemental Altus after already building a major stake earlier this year. The move adds to its $8.7 billion stockpile of gold bars stored in Switzerland and highlights its strategy of tying stablecoin operations to hard assets. 

  • Publicly traded companies worldwide now hold more than 1 million BTC, representing nearly 5% of the total supply. Strategy (MSTR) dominates the list with 636,505 BTC, followed by MARA Holdings with 50,639 BTC and XXI with 43,514 BTC, while dozens of other firms contribute smaller but growing allocations.

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  • Stablecoins could shift from niche to mainstream by 2030, powering over $50 trillion in annual payments—especially in cross-border and B2B flows—while retail adoption grows more slowly, mostly through digital wallets, e-commerce and gaming.

Weaknesses

  • Nasdaq is tightening rules on companies trying to pump their stock by raising money to buy crypto, forcing some to get shareholder approval first and potentially slowing the boom of firms racing to turn themselves into crypto plays.
  • Trump’s family-backed crypto project World Liberty Financial stumbled at launch after billionaire investor Justin Sun’s wallet was blacklisted, sparking a public clash, a 40% price drop and fresh doubts about the project’s credibility.
  • North Korean hackers are impersonating recruiters on LinkedIn and Telegram, luring crypto workers with fake job offers. Once victims download “test assignments,” hidden malware steals access to their wallets. 

Opportunities

  • Polymarket says it now has the regulatory approvals it needs to launch in the U,S., after the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) granted a no-action letter that clears costly reporting hurdles and effectively gives the crypto prediction market the green light to go live.
  • Japan Post Bank plans to let its 120 million account holders swap deposits for DCJPY tokens by 2026, enabling near-instant settlement of securities and other transactions as it joins the MUFG-backed tokenized asset network.
  • David Bailey, the Trump-linked crypto investor, has unveiled “MSTR Squared,” a strategy where his Bitcoin treasury company invests directly in other Bitcoin treasury firms. The goal is to expand corporate Bitcoin holdings globally and turn these treasuries into a powerful network of capital.

Threats

  • An $8.5 million luxury cruise to the North Pole carrying over 150 elite Russian-speaking guests was abruptly canceled after a crypto scandal erupted, derailing what was meant to be an exclusive high-society Arctic voyage.
  • Coinbase has filed a lawsuit against Dynapass, seeking a ruling that its use of two-factor authentication does not violate Dynapass’s patent. The company also argues that the patent is invalid and wants the court to declare it unenforceable.
  • In India, several crypto exchanges have been flagged for secretly using client assets in trading, lending, or staking without disclosure. Users bear the risk while platforms keep the profits.
Kitco Media

Frank E Holmes

Frank Holmes is CEO and chief investment officer of U.S. Global Investors, Inc., a boutique investment advisory firm based in San Antonio that manages domestic and offshore funds specializing in the natural resources and emerging markets sectors. The company’s no-load mutual funds include the Global Resources Fund (ticker PSPFX), the World Precious Minerals Fund (UNWPX) and the Gold Shares Fund (USERX).

Please consider carefully the fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. For this and other important information, obtain a fund prospectus by visiting www.usfunds.com or by calling 1-800-US-FUNDS (1-800-873-8637). Read it carefully before investing. Distributed by U.S. Global Brokerage, Inc.

All opinions expressed and data provided are subject to change without notice. Some of these opinions may not be appropriate to every investor. Foreign and emerging market investing involves special risks such as currency fluctuation and less public disclosure, as well as economic and political risk.

The S&P/TSX Global Gold Index is an international benchmark tracking the world’s leading gold companies with the intent to provide an investable representative index of publicly-traded international gold companies. The FTSE Gold Mines Index Series encompasses all gold mining companies that have a sustainable and attributable gold production of at least 300,000 ounces a year, and that derive 75% or more of their revenue from mined gold.

Holdings as a percentage of net assets as of 6/30/07: Jiangxi Copper (China Region Opportunity Fund 1.74%); Silvercorp Metals Inc. (World Precious Minerals Fund 2.78%, Global Resources Fund 0.89%, China Region Opportunity Fund 2.42%); Gold Fields Ltd. (Gold Shares Fund 6.05%, World Precious Minerals Fund 2.58%, Global Resources Fund 0.39%); Sino Gold Mining Ltd. (Gold Shares Fund 1.03%, World Precious Minerals Fund 0.58%, China Region Opportunity Fund 0.27%); Anglogold Ashanti (0.0%); Dynasty Gold (0.0%).

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Tags:

TetherBitcoincryptoCoinbaseNasdaqWorld Liberty FinancialMSTRstablecoins
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